How can seismometers detect space junk reentry?

Seismometers can detect sonic booms produced by space junk entering the atmosphere at supersonic speeds, similar to how they detect earthquake waves.

What is the new method developed by Johns Hopkins and Imperial College London?

Researchers developed a technique using seismic data to track space debris reentry by analyzing sonic booms, aiding trajectory prediction.

Why is tracking space junk reentry important?

Tracking helps in locating and recovering hazardous space debris, preventing environmental contamination and potential harm to infrastructure and people.

Home / Science / Earthquake Sensors Now Track Space Debris Reentry

Earthquake Sensors Now Track Space Debris Reentry

23 Jan

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Summary

Seismometers, typically used for earthquakes, can detect sonic booms from falling space junk.
New method predicts reentry trajectories using seismic data, tested with Chinese spacecraft.
This approach could aid in locating and recovering toxic space debris more effectively.

Earthquake Sensors Now Track Space Debris Reentry

Space junk reentry poses a growing environmental and safety threat, with old satellites and spacecraft parts entering Earth's atmosphere multiple times daily. When these objects burn up, they can release harmful substances and, if they survive, contaminate the environment or cause collisions. Current tracking methods struggle with sudden deorbiting and debris breakup during reentry.

Scientists from Johns Hopkins University and Imperial College London have developed a new technique using seismometers to detect the sonic booms created by space debris. This method repurposes earthquake-detecting instruments to identify the shock waves produced when objects exceed the speed of sound. This approach was validated by analyzing the reentry of China's Shenzhou-15 spacecraft in April 2024 over California, showing a different predicted trajectory than US Space Force radar data.